How batteries work - Adam Jacobson?

A battery is like a tiny power station that keeps your toys and games going.

Inside the Battery

Imagine you have two friends inside the battery, one who loves to give out positive charges, and another who likes to take them in. These friends are called electrodes. Between them is something like a special juice (called an electrolyte) that helps the charges move around.

When you connect a battery to a toy, it's like giving your friends a job, they start passing the charges through wires so your toy can light up or spin.

When the Battery Runs Out

Eventually, one of the friends gets tired and can’t pass as many charges anymore. That’s when your toy slows down or stops, just like how you might get sleepy after playing all day.

The battery works until both friends are too tired to keep passing the charges, then it's time for a new one!

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A simple battery powers a flashlight using chemical reactions.
  2. Lemons can act as batteries when connected to coins and wires.
  3. Batteries are like tiny power plants inside your phone.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity